Khan had been marching for nearly an hour before she saw the affiliation lights. Seeing them she fought the urge to run keeping her pace steady. She didn't need to rush yet.
The DeeBees had followed their programming. Without any orders after the drop they had taken up positions in a small patch of trees. Using what cover they could from a formation of rocks. One of the Peacemakers stepped forward as she approached.
'Good Day, Lieutenant. Do you require assistance?' The machine asked.
'Yes. But things first. Status report?' Khan said. Marching up to the robot.
'After deployment units encountered multiple unknown lifeforms. Lifeforms confirmed as hostile and destroyed.'
'Losses?'
'Squad four has been lost. Squad two has lost its DR-1 and a Peacemaker. Remaining three squads are nominal.'
'Have those units formed up on me. I'm taking command.' She could see the remaining DR-1's. A Protector with its Overkill, Oppressor with a Tri-Shot and two Devastators holding RL-4 Salvos.
'Acknowledged.'
Before the words had left its speakers the two DeeBees had started moving. They formed up either side of Khan. She glanced down at her Snub. If they had lost bots like this she would need an upgrade. Perhaps her new friends could help with that.
'Have you recovered the weapons from the downed units?'
'Yes, Lieutenant. All COG property has been recovered.'
'Show me.'
The Peacemaker turned and marched over to a small stack of rocks. Another changed to cover its place in the ad hoc perimeter.
Inside the ring of stone was the equipment from the destroyed bots. A set of Enforcers, EMBAR rail gun, an Overkill shotgun and a Tri-Shot chain gun. Alongside the weapons were their respective ammo packs.
The Tri-Shot was out. Khan might have taken the augments so she could lift it but speed would be key here. The EMBAR wasn't an option either, it was designed for Deadeyes so it lacked a scope.
She picked up an Enforcer seeing it link to her HUD it had half a magazine left. She ejected and loaded a fresh one. Then started packing more magazines into her pockets. She took the Overkill as well, it was short range but had more power than the Enforcer.
As she was doing her final checks one of the Deadeyes snapped around aiming at something.
'Unknown weapons fire detected.'
'Unknown?' Khan asked. The Swarm had made new weapons before. Could they be trying something new?
'Audio does not match any known firearm.' The Deadeye reported its head tracking.
'Could the storm be interfering? Messing with the sound'
'Negative, Lieutenant. Weapon has discharged multiple times. Sound remains inconsistent with records. Source is mobile.'
'Direction and path of travel?'
'Currently west south west. Source has been consistently closing. Currently moving south.'
Khan looked off towards where the Deadeyes head was tracking. The camp.
'Form up we're investing that sound. Cover up the weapons before we leave and log the location. I didn't lose a Condor just so some Swarm pests could come in and finish the job.'
Azure was running hard now. Her aura had barely regenerated to a slither. If she stopped to rest and recover she risked getting ambushed. The last pack of Grimm were dissipating a little way's back but every fight would bring more. There was no sign of the Goliath wherever it was she didn't care. She just needed to reach that tow-.
A boulder smashed into her, breaking her aura. She cried out as she fell shards of rock cutting her skin like blades. She looked up seeing her attacker.
It was a Beringel. The large ape like Grimm was built heavy and known to be smarter even if young. It had waited by the road knowing someone would come along it. And Azure had run right past it in her haste.
The Grimm beat its chest roaring. It was trying to scare her. Keep her off guard. It was working.
Azure lifted Water Blade and fired off a shot. Her first round missed. The Beringel snarled and began to circle her. She fired off a few more shots each striking a tree or rock as it closed. The Grimm snatched up rocks and flung them at her trying to throw her aim off. Then she pulled the trigger to a click. Her eyes darted to the weapon then the Grimm. It leered at her. Then roared again charging forwards.
Azure would never make the reload. She transformed Water Blade to its ranseur configuration. The spear tip sliding out from under the barrel. The two smaller forward swept blades unfolded into place. She braced hoping to turn the Grimms own mass against it. If she could just get it to charge her head on.
The Grimm had other ideas. A split second before it reached her it snatched up a large branch one handed and swung it. The improvised weapon stuck Water Blade from Azure's hands and clipped her head. She spun to one side, blood leaking from her head. She landed hard. Winded tried to crawl towards Water Blade. The sounds were muted and her vision was spinning. She could feel the Grimm striding over towards her. It picked her up and roared into her face.
This was it. So close to saving everyone. Why? Why did it have to end here? Azure began to murmur a prayer to the God of Animals. Recalling the words her parents had taught her. The Grimm opened its mouth wide. Huge canines glimmered as it prepared to take the first bite.
Khan didn't know what she was looking at. They had just reached the top of a small rise overlooking a road. They had heard more gunfire and sprinted the last few meters to the top. Below them some… monkey thing was about to eat someone.
'Take the shot! She's going to die!' She called to the Deadeye.
'Unable to comply. Round will risk penetration.' The machine responded bluntly.
'Then hit it in the arm!' She cried.
'Acknowledged.' The Deadeye adjusted its aim. There was the momentary whine as the rail gun built up a charge then the snap of an outgoing round.
The monkey thing howled as the round took a chunk out of its arm. Dropping its victim. It turned looking at them with fury in its red glowing eyes.
'Pick on someone your own size.' Khan declared. Firing a burst of Enforcer rounds at the thing. The DeeBees joined in pumping rounds towards the creature.
The monster roared beating its chest. It ran off to the side hurling anything it could reach as it darted into the trees. It was fast as hell and looked about as happy. Streams of rounds from the Tri-Shot and Enforcers shaving branches from the forest. The Salvo's rockets snapped trees in half and blew rocks to pieces but didn't manage to connect. EMBARs were doing more. The beast was shuddering with each magnetically accelerated bolt clipping it. But still no kill shot. Something would have to give the stalemate would not last.
The Oppressor's Tri-shot fell silent as it ran dry. The attacker saw its chance. It changed heading making for them. The Enforcer rounds kept pelting it but didn't slow the creature. It was smarter than it looked. Weaving slightly to have the rockets and magnetic rounds just slip past. It was moving towards them closing the distance.
The DeeBees were assessing the new threat. Trying to match its behavior to a suitable counter. It was a large hostile and launched projectiles as a means of attack. Based on that the machines selected their strategy. Counter Swarm Carrier. It was the kind of plan that one could only order a machine to follow.
DR-1's dropped their heavy weapons. The other DeeBees stopped firing to avoid damage to their fellows. Khan kept shooting not under the same restriction. The monster charged faster, eager to fight, convinced it had the upper hand.
The beast collided with the first DR-1. Its sheer mass dove the machine back scraping lines in the dirt. The bot fired its support jets. Normally intended to help the bulky machine maneuver. The added force slowed the two brawlers.
Then the second DR-1 joined in followed by the third and fourth. The beast swung out with fists the size of a normal man's torso. The blows would have killed a normal human. But it wasn't fighting humans.
Its fists struck the armored frames. The large DeeBees were knocked back slightly but not phased. Two of the machines locked their arms around the things hands pinning them aside. The remaining two began to beat the creature with punches that would break stone. After a few seconds of mechanically precise violence the creature's was dazed its head lolled to one side. The DR-1's stood aside.
With their target exposed and framed perfectly the four Deadeyes charged and fired. Two to the head, two to the chest. The rounds had been designed to punch through barricades and state of the art body armor. The creature's bone-like armor shattered like dropped dishes. With half its head open to the air the creature let out one last gurgle. Then began to come apart like the others.
Khan sprinted over to the injured person.
'Standard perimeter 50 meters.' She called watching the DeeBees move into place. The DR-1's moved to recover their weapons.
She knelt down at the woman's side. She was definitely a woman. She had bright blue hair which was strange. Could she be an Outsider? COG definitely wouldn't have dyed their hair. But why the wet suit?
She saw the blood starting to pool under the woman's head. Filing her questions for later. Khan started checking her vitals.
'Is. It. Dead?' The Woman gasped between breaths.
'Yeah it's dead. Bots shot it to bits.' Khan replied.
The woman laughed softly. Tilting her head as one of the machines marched past. 'So you are from Atlas.'
'Atlas? Like a map? Sorry I'm from Settlement 3.' Khan said, checking her wounds. She was bleeding from the head. She could see bone.
'Is that the name of your town? Seems kinda dreary. Are you miners? That sounds like a company town.' The woman asked, her voice sounding tired. Not good.
'What's your name?' Khan asked. Getting out her first aid kit. She had to keep her talking.
'I'm Azure. Azure Sees.' The Azure mumbled.
'Thats a nice name. I'm Niamh. Niamh Khan.'
'Hey. I knew a Niamh back at Beacon.'
'That's good, is Beacon your hometown?'
'Nooooo. Beacon Academy. You know, for Huntsmen.' Azure said, starting to giggle.
'Well Azure you've got a nasty cut I'm going to get it bandaged up for you ok.'
'Ok.'
Khan started to wrap the bandage around Azure's head. Azure for her part started babbling about how she wanted to go back to some place called Journey. She listed off a few names. At least Khan thought they were names. Most sounded like colors.
Khan was listening as she worked. With a head injury you needed to be careful. Then she noticed the cuts on Azure's neck, symmetrical shapes like U's, three each side. They didn't seem to be bleeding but she could see the skin was parted.
'Do the cuts on your neck hurt?'
'Cuts what cuts?'
'Either side. You've got a few cuts. I don't see any blood though.'
'Silly those aren't cut's. Those are my gills.' Azure replied sounding rather pleased.
'I see. Your gills.' Khan said not understanding a word. Had her mind tried to explain the injuries?
'Yep I'm a Mer-Faunus.' Azure declared. She looked pleased for a moment. Then she started to get upset.
'Hey what's wrong, are you hurt?'
'No but someone set those turrets in the valley to shoot at me.'
'What? What turrets?'
'The ones in the watch posts.' Azure sniffed. 'Do your people not like Faunus?'
'What no. I don't know what you're talking about.' Khan replied. What sort of name was Faunus? Was it an Outsider clan?
'But they shot at me. I was just trying to get… Wait I was… Oh the message.' Azure fumbled with one of her pockets producing a small glass tablet. She held it out proudly.
Khan took the device on it. A woman with whitish hair and some uniform she'd never seen was sitting at a desk. A grey play icon was overlaid onto the image. At Azure's prompting she pressed the button and watched the video. It was only a few minutes long. But it made absolutely no sense. She was about to start asking what the hell was going on when she heard a horn blare.
Turning around she saw a Minotaur riding along the road towards them. Its horn blared again.
'DeeBee get a stretcher or medic over here.' Khan shouted.
'Acknowledged.' One of the Peacemakers turned and moved towards the truck.
'Ok Azure we're going to need to move you. A doctor can check you when we get to the Camp.'
'Will you make sure they see the message.' Azure mumbled. 'It was really hard to get here.'
'Don't worry I'll make sure.'
A squad of Gears had dismounted from the truck. Lucky whoever sent them had assumed Khan might be hurt. So one of them was in the white armor of a combat medic.
They started loading Azure on a stretcher.
'Did you grab Water Blade?' Azure muttered. Looking around dazed.
'Water Blade?' Khan asked. Looking around.
'It was right here. I had it with me.' Azure was trying to get up and the medic was holding her down.
'Whats it look like?' The Sergeant from the squad asked. Looking at the ground.
'I had it in ranseur mode. Its blue with yellow trim.' Azure said. Her eyes darted around as the medic had locked her head to the stretcher.
'Hey over here' One of the gears called. He reached down, picking up a blue and yellow spear of some kind. As he shifted his grip the thing suddenly started moving.
The two blades on either side snapped into the main one somehow. The shaft slid inwards shortening. A grip and trigger sprang out from what had seemed to be a hand guard. A scope of some kind popping out of the shaft. It had turned into a rifle right before their eyes.
'Dam it Hooper. You just needed to pick it up. What did you do?' The Sergeant snapped.
'I just picked it up, Sarge I swear. Thing just started moving.'
'No, it's fine. It's meant to do that.' Azure said giggling. 'You people act like you've never seen a proper Huntresses weapon before.'
'Right… How about we put it into the locker before Hooper breaks it.' Khan said gesturing to the Minotaur.
'Agreed. Hooper get it stowed. And for god's sake don't stab anyone.' The Sergeant snapped.
Hooper moved towards the truck holding the apparently transforming spear/rifle well clear of himself. The squad made sure to stay well away from him in case it decided to change again. With the weapon stowed they loaded the stretcher with Azure on it. The Minotaur turned around and headed back for the camp. The DeeBees would march back not like there would have been room for them anyway.
When they reached the Medical area they were pointed to a room off to the side. It had a few beds and cabinets around the sides. But all the walls were solid so that was something. Khan helped move Azure to the ward. The halls were packed with wounded. Gears, Outsiders she even saw a UIR rifleman being carried between two COG medics.
One of the white armored medics helped get Azure onto a bed and began to check her for injuries. Another was checking Khan despite her protests
'You bring her in?' The Medic checking Azure asked not even looking at Khan.
'Yeah found her outside the line. She was getting beaten by some crazy looking monkey.' Khan said. She had taken her helmet off and was having a light shined into her eye.
'She an Outsider?' The Medic checking Azure said looking at a tablet.
'Don't know. Didn't stop to ask. Why?'
'We've run her face. She's not in the records.'
'What? How can someone not be in the records? I thought we had profiles for everyone.' Khan said, looking between the two in confusion.
'I've got every Outsider on record and the basics from the UIR. She's not on any of the records. Ours or theirs.'
'Try her name Azure Sees.'
The medic typed on the tablet a few times. Waited a moment then shook their head.
'No match. Even with Sea. Cees. Nothing.'
They paused for a moment looking at the girl for a moment.
'Azure' Khan started. 'Where are you from?'
'Windy Cove.' Azure replied.
'Ok and is that an Outsider settlement?'
'No… Its along the coast of Vale. Why?'
The COG personnel looked at each other for a moment.
'Could you point to it on a map?' The tablet wielding medic asked.
'Sure.' Azure said. Lending forward slightly.
The medic called up a map of Sera. Then turned the tablet so she could see.
Azure looked at it for a moment then tilted her head. 'What's wrong with your tablet?'
'Nothing looks fine to me.' The medic said. Looking at the screen.
'That's not any map I know. Is it of the local islands?'
'Azure, that's a map of the world.' Khan said standing up.
'No it's not. Where's Sanus, Anima or Solitas? You're from Atlas right? You have to know Solitas.'
'Azure none of those names mean anything.' Khan said, resting a hand on the girl's leg as she approached.
'You're wrong. Or are you just making fun of me because I'm a Faunus?' Azure snapped.
'Please don't get agitated. You have a head wound. You may just be disorientated.' The medic said. Trying to calm her.
'No one is calling anyone a Faunus.' Khan added. She was assuming it was some kind of local insult.
'I'm not disorientated. I'm Mer-Faunus look.' Azure said, pulling up a trouser leg.
Khan didn't know what the hell she was looking at. But it looked like a fin. In a moment of disbelief she pulled the other trouser leg up. There was an identical fin on Azure's other leg.
'Oh shit.' Khan muttered.
There was a bang as the doors closed. The two medics stood either side. They had their pistols raised.
'What the hell?' Khan asked.
'Lieutenant I need you to remove your sidearm and slide it across the floor.' The first one said.
'What the hell are you doing?' Khan said. Turning towards them as she did so they took aim. She froze.
'You need to remove your side arm and slide it over.'
With no other option she complied. Sliding over her service Snub. One of the medics reached down with a plastic bag and packaged up the weapon. They then had Khan turn over every weapon she had including her knife. Each was bagged in turn. Then they stepped out of the room taking the bags with them.
'Hey! You want to explain yourselves?' Khan called.
She walked towards the door. Seeing the two medics talking. She knew it by the way their heads were bobbing but with the helmets there were no lips to read. She saw the intercom pressing to hear the outside.
'-one she's been in contact with. Understand everyone.'
'Copy but that room is not Bio secure.'
'I'll get it secure, just isolate them.'
'Hey.' Khan shouted. 'What's going on?'
'Your friend is suffering from unknown growths.'
'She said she had gills too. Want to come in and check her neck?' Khan said punching the door.
'We can't. With those mutations she might be Lambent.'
At the L word Khan nearly choked. A few places had suffered with Lambancy making the jump to humans. The infection turned people into rabid exploding monsters. But that had been stopped by the weapon that ended the Locust war once and for all. She only knew it by the images and reports she'd seen.
'There's been no Lambency since the end of the last war!' Khan shouted. Resisting the urge to hit the glass.
'Got another explanation for those fins and gills? You've been in contact, we need to quarantine you.'
Khan looked back at Azure who was now terrified. Khan cursed under her breath. The medic ran from the window. Looking for something to seal them in no doubt. Khan turned and walked back towards Azure.
'Azure I need to explain everything you think you know.' Khan said. Sitting down on the bed next to Azure.
'What? Why? What do they mean by I might be lamenting?' Azure said, trying to sit on her elbows.
'Its Lambent. And if you were you would be sprouting tentacles, glowing and trying to chew my face off.
'I don't feel like eating your face. And I don't know how you expect me to grow tentacles. I can glow though.'
'You what?' Khan said, blinking in surprise.
'My aura. It's recovered enough for me to raise it.' Azure said before taking a breath. After a few seconds she emitted a faint yellow light all across her body.
'Ok… I don't think that's a lambent glow but don't do that again for now. Last thing we need is anyone freaking out more.'
'Oh um ok. What did you mean by explaining everything?'
'You said our map was wrong. What do you mean?'
'Are you joking? Your map didn't show any of the continents. Let alone the four Kingdoms.'
'Azure I'm serious, I don't know any kingdoms. There's the COG, Outsiders and UIR here. We don't have any Nomads and I don't know anyone else alive on Sera.'
'So you call this island Sera? I never got the name from the Captain. It's just marked Dragon's Tail South.'
'Sera is the name of the planet we're on…' Khan said. Her voice trailing off.
'Remnant. The name of the world is Remnant.' Azure said. Total confidence on her face.
'Either you're a master of deception or…'
'Or what?'
'Or we're not where we're meant to be.'
Azure pulled out a small tablet. It was like the first one she'd shown Khan. A bit newer by its design perhaps. Less worn. She showed Khan a map that looked like nothing she'd ever seen.
Sera's landmass was a series of contiguous continents all connected. They were surrounded by the Serano Ocean. The only outlying islands were volcanic in nature. And small compared to the singular mass of the mainland.
The map Azure was insisting on had at least five large land masses all separated by water. She listed four of them as Sanus, Anima, Solitas and Menagerie. Azure pointed to an island chain on the south west of Anima. Apparently their location. it was known as the Dragon's Tail after its shape.
Their ship had set out from the Kingdom of Atlas for Menagerie. There were four kingdoms: Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo and Vale. Menagerie was a special case being it was a state for the Faunus but not known as a Kingdom.
When Khan asked what a Faunus was Azure just showed her a picture. It was Azure and three others. Two women and a man all young like Azure. All looking at the camera as they posed in wet suits next to a pier.
The woman in blue was called Waverly. She had blue hair that was darker than Azure's with eyes that matched. A set of fins on her arms were clear to see.
The second woman in a purple wet suit was Regalia. She had blond hair and purple eyes. Azure pointed out her face had a set of vibrant purple scales around the edge.
Lastly was the man in bright blue Turquoise or Turk to his friends. His eyes were bright and lively with light blue hair. His teeth quite literally looked like they were from a shark.
Khan leaned back thinking for a moment.
'So you all have a trait from an animal?' Khan said. Looking at Azure.
'Well yes.' Azure said. Looking better than before.
'And you've never heard of the COG?'
'Nope.'
'Union of Independent Republics?'
'No.'
'Hammer of Dawn?' Khan asked feeling like the floor was dropping out from beneath her.
'Is that a relic weapon from a local Huntsman?' Azure asked cocking her head.
She didn't know about the Hammer. That was impossible. But if she was lying she could have come up with a better backstory. Images could be faked. Those fins and gills could be make up. But that just didn't make sense.
'I have to report this.' Khan said beginning to pace the room.
'I'm not sure how you can. We're locked in and my scroll still won't connect.'
Khan picked up her helmet and tried to connect to the network. All she got was access denied.
'They pulled my access. I can't call out.'
'There must be something we can do. The people on the Journey and the Pearl are counting on me getting help.' Azure said, trying to sit up further.
'If we could get a message to the Governor we could do something.'
'The Governor? Is that like a village head?'
'He's the boss around here. But even if we could break out we'd never make it past the Onyx Gua-.' Khan trailed off as she chased that train of thought. What was it?
'The Onyx what?' Azure asked.
'The Governor guards. I have the details for their radios.'
Khan reached down to her pouches. She'd flown the Governor in with his escort. She still had the Onyx join ops frequencies written down in her note from that flight. She pulled out the small pad and began to set her radio manually.
'Here goes.' Khan put her helmet on and tried to transmit. It connected.
'This is Lieutenant Niamh Khan COG Air Corps. Broadcasting to any Onyx guard receiving. I have critical information for the Governor.'
There was a pause for a few moments. She tried again.
'Repeat. This is Lieutenant Niamh Khan COG Air Corps. Broadcasting to any Onyx guard receiving. I have critical information for the Governor.'
The radio cracked for a moment. Then a voice came back.
'Lieutenant Khan. This is Second 'Lieutenant Myers. I'm happy to hear you're alive. What do you need me to pass on?'
'The Governor needs to come to the Medical Area. There's a situation that needs addressing. Hundreds if not thousands of lives are at stake. My self and a woman who brought a message from a group of refugees are being quarantined by the medical corps. She has information the Governor needs to hear first hand.'
'Wait one.'
Khan stood waiting. Seconds ticked by. Then the radio crackled again.
'Sit tight, we're on the way. Over and out.'
Khan spent the rest of the time asking Azure questions and answering in turn. There would be a lot of ground to cover. She needed to give the best report possible so the Governor could act.
The medics had taped the door frame up and then taped over that. At one point the squad that brought them in was marched into the room next door. Khan was watching the medics spray down the hallway with cleaning fluid when the door flew open.
A pair of Onyx guards swept the room. The other two squad members darted past the shouting medics securing the other end of the room. The next squad that entered had an extra member.
He was wearing light armor. Mostly regulation blue with an Onyx shoulder. Even with the helmet it was clear this was the Governor. Last time Khan had seen him he'd walked out onto a runway between two crowds about to brawl. He'd been wearing a suit and talked them down. Now he was wearing body armor. And if any of the rumors about him fighting his way to the airfield were true he knew use that Snub on his hip.
He made for the door Khan was looking out from. A medic tried to block his way but was intercepted by two Onyx. Standing in front the door Khan could see the stenciled text on his front. GOV. EMMERICH.
He tapped the intercom. 'Lieutenant Khan I presume?'
'Yes, sir.' Khan replied with a nod.
'Lieutenant Myers said you needed to speak with me.'
'Yes, sir. There are people trapped outside our perimeter. They won't survive without help.'
'Tell me everything.'